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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: straw · trunk · pitcher · stock · lean · safe · mouse · cold

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. cold — not warm
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. lean — thin
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. cold — an illness
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. stock — shares
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — to bend
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stock — goods
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. trunk — of an elephant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com